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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Yarn Snob? I think not...

A person with an exaggerated respect for high social position who dislikes people or activities regarded as lower-class.

A person who believes that their tastes in a particular area are superior to those of other people: "a wine [or yarn] snob".

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We all have a favorite something. In the world of knitters (or crocheters), that something might or might not be yarn...but it probably is. To take it one step further, that something might or might not be a specific type of yarn, according to weight, softness, fiber blend, color or style...and it probably is. In fact, some knitters are so particular about their choice of yarn, that they might or might not be classified as "yarn snobs." (Please note: I am not pointing any fingers.) In general, the typical yarn snob is probably not a fan of the inexpensive and/or acrylic yarns you find in the big box stores. All this talk of snobs might or might not leave you wondering, "Is Pretty a yarn snob?" I think not! Here's Exhibit A:

...so you'll want that afghan to be washable, and it has to hold up to some amount of abuse. Therefore, this prudent knitter used a brightly colored acrylic yarn. It's inexpensive, and it will hold up to wash after wash, even in the dryer! On top of that, if it gets dragged around the house by a kid, adult, or even a pet, it'll still hold up pretty well...well, unless the cat chews a hole in it. In that case, the yarn doesn't matter. If the cat's gonna chew through it, you must keep it away from the cat.

Want more proof that Pretty is no yarn snob? Here are are Exhibits B and C:

Fun Birdie Decorations! When you want a lot of bang for your knitting buck, like a small project with multiple colors, inexpensive acrylic might be the way to go. Especially if you like to make a lot of little things, like toys and/or holiday decorations...

..or toys that might be dragged around by a toddler...or her pets... =/

Of course, sometimes you want to make something with a yarn that is made of wool, like a color-work hat, and there are lots of yarns out there to choose from. I'll be working on a hat this week, and this is the yarn I've chosen, because I was already at the big box store anyway:

But sometimes, for me anyway, I'd just rather have the convenience and easy care that acrylic yarns (which have come a long way from the Super Saver of the seventies, by the way) offer...

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to knit with cashmere and qiviut all the time...but, until I have the personal budget to support a Downton-Abbey-lifestyle (which is truly not even fathom-able for me in the 21st century USA), I'll just knit with what I can easily get my hands on. Sometimes that means luxury yarns, and sometimes it's acrylic, and mostly it's something in between. For me, the yarn doesn't matter so much, as long as I can knit...I just love to knit!!!

So, no. Pretty is not a yarn snob (not that there's anything wrong with that), but she's not against those who are...tolerance within the knitting community is very important to Pretty, and I hope that all my "snobby" friends will agree. :)

2 comments:

Ah my... The most exquisite yarn I ever knitted... I splurged and paid $30 for an ounce of qiviut back when nobody had ever heard of the stuff. Tried to spin it. Dryer lint--gack. It sat there for years till I finally gave it to my friend Rachel, who spins far more finely than my fingers do, and told her to keep it and not give it back.

Yeah well. Guess what she did.

And she not only spun it and gave it back to me, she felt moved to do so at the same time that, I soon found out, an old high school friend of mine on a bike was hit by a car and survived, thankfully, but as a paraplegic. Yow. And so that qiviut, an amazing amount of yardage for the single ounce in Rachel's hands, got knitted up by me as a scarf for Chuck, and whether he wore it or his wife, it's all the same to me. Rachel was very grateful too that our work was so well timed and so perfect for where it so clearly needed to go.

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About Me

I am a knitter and crafter in Northeast Ohio. My hubby and I were once high-school sweethearts. We now have an empty nest, with our children grown and gone, and we look forward to many years of spoiling our grandchildren!